The present invention relates generally to portable electric fans and more particularly to a portable electric fan which is constructed so that it can be clipped on to the side edge of a table top or desk top or the arm of a chair or the like.
Portable electric fans are well known in the art and commonly used to circulate air. Examples of portable electric fans may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,341,220, U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,184 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,304. These fans generally include a fan unit which is mounted either directly or through some type of joint on a base or pedestal for tilting movement backward and forward about a horizontal axis and/or for oscillating or rotational movement about a vertical axis. The tilting movement in a forward direction is usually limited to about 20 degrees downward beyond the horizontal since any further tilting will probably cause the fan to topple over due to its center of gravity. The fan unit usually includes a motor inside a motor housing for driving the fan blades and a motor actuating switch for actuating the motor.
The base or pedestal in these fans is constructed so that the fan can be placed or seated on a flat surface such as the top surface of a table or desk or counter. The problem with this type of construction is that the fan simply rests on the top surface on which it is placed and is not secured thereto in any way. In addition when resting on the top surface the fan takes up space which the user may need or desire for some other purpose. Also, in some cases there may not be a flat surface available that can accommodate the fan.
In the past the motor actuating switch has been either mounted inside the housing with the stem of the switch extending out of the housing through a small opening or mounted inside the base with the stem or button portion of the switch extending out through a small opening on the base. The problem with this mounting arrangement is that the components that make up the fan cannot be very easily assembled and once assembled cannot be very easily disassembled, especially to access the switch for repair or replacement.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing a fan which contains an integrally formed clip mechanism so that it can be clipped on to the side edge of a table top or desk top or arm of a chair or other similar structure and which is constructed so that the fan unit motor actuating switch is mounted on the housing for easy assembly. The invention achieves the above by providing a fan including a base in the form of a large clip and a fan in which the motor actuating switch is attached to the housing from the outside as opposed to from the inside of the housing. In use, the fan is simply clipped onto the appropriate structure and once clipped on is temporarily and securely fixed in place.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved electric fan.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable electric fan.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a portable electric fan which can be easily assembled.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a portable electric fan which can be easily and temporarily attached to the side edge of a table top or desk top or arm of a chair or the like.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a portable electric fan as described above which can be tilted back and forth about a horizontal axis and rotated about a vertical axis.